This invention relates to a micro-debris remover. More particularly, the invention concerns a lint roller that has a coating, for sanitizing surfaces and reducing the effects of micro-debris allergies, and at least one non-adhesive gripping tab for selectively removing sheets of adhesive material from the lint roller.
Lint rollers are well known for use in removing micro-debris such as lint and pet hair, from furniture, linens and clothes. In use, such lint rollers are typically coated with adhesive masking tape sheets wound around a cylindrical core which rotates. When the adhesive tape becomes contaminated with micro-debris, the contaminated adhesive sheet is then peeled off and discarded, readying a subsequent adhesive sheet for more use.
There are several known types and styles of lint rollers. Examples of such prior art devices are McKay, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,465 band 4,399,579, Kucera, U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,616 and Stetson U.S. Pat. No. D342,610. With respect to the known prior art, the devices demonstrate many disadvantages. One such disadvantage is the manner of removing contaminated adhesive sheets. The known lint rollers provide for loosening the adhesive with a fingernail, and pulling down to separate the contaminated adhesive sheet. This presents an obstacle of successfully keeping the sheet in a whole form and therefore preventing the contaminated sheet from separating from itself.
Another disadvantage present in prior art lint rollers is the difficulty of removing a contaminated adhesive sheet and avoiding gripping other non-contaminated sheets which tend to stick to the contaminated sheet. Accidental gripping of non-contaminated sheets results in waste of the adhesive sheets and frustration to the user.
While most known lint rollers adequately remove micro-debris, there is no means provided for sanitizing the item being cleaned. Because dust and pet hair often carry bacteria, there is a need for a lint roller having anti-bacterial properties. The prior art also does not disclose provide a means for reducing the effect of allergies.
Further, known lint removers rollers are small in size. The disadvantages that occur due to the small size of such lint rollers are discomfort and considerable time to operate the lint roller when attempting to use these devices on a large area.
The present invention describes a general cleaning tool which has a rotatable core which is covered by a large roll of adhesive tape wound successively around the core, with perforations being provided along the roll to separate the roll into sheets. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, in one preferred embodiment, each of the sheets has antibacterial coating disposed on an outwardly facing surface for sanitizing the surface of the item to be cleaned. Another preferred embodiment discloses providing an anti-allergen coating on the outwardly facing surface of the sheets to reduce the effects pollen, dust, dust mites and pet dander.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, each sheet further incorporates a non-adhesive tab. The non-adhesive tab operates to facilitate easy removal of the sheets once they become contaminated. The non-adhesive tab is preferably colored to serve as a visible indicator to the user. In a preferred embodiment, the non-adhesive tab extends substantially across the outer front edge of each sheet. Further, the lint roller preferably includes perforations that extend both laterally and transversely across the tape so as to divide the sheets into smaller sheets with the tabs being disposed on each small sheet.
To overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, the present invention discloses a device that eliminates the difficulties of sheet removal, as well as reducing the effects of health related problems associated with bacteria and allergies. First, by providing a non-adhesive gripping tab on every adhesive sheet, the inconvenience of using a fingernail to remove the adhesive sheet from the roll is eliminated. Providing a non-adhesive tab also eliminates the non-contaminated adhesive sheet from being discarded with contaminated adhesive sheets. In addition, by incorporating anti-bacterial and anti-allergen coatings on the adhesive sheets, items from which micro-debris are being removed are sanitized, thereby reducing the effects of bacteria and allergies.
Preferably, the lint roller is sized to be larger than average lint rollers found in the prior art such that the present invention is a much quicker, faster and more effective way of cleaning.
Further objects and advantages of this present invention are to provide a simple cleaning device with no frustrations involved. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.